Top 10 Realistic and Affordable Gifts in 2020 for the Keto Person in Your Life

Note: I am not affiliated with any links. I don’t make any money off of any of these 🙂 Featured image is sexy Santa Paul Mason. (That’s what I’d like under my tree please!)

I’ve polled a few friends who do Keto and asked them what they would like as holiday gifts. Here are the top 10!

1. The DASH Mini Waffle Maker – $16.99

Phenomenal for “Chaffles (cheese waffles) and a variety of other creative Keto foods! Can be found here.

2. The DASH Egg Bite Maker – $29.99

Eggs are very keto – and this Egg bite maker makes egg bites really fast, easy, and delicious! You can find it here!

3. G. Hughes Sugar Free Sauces – $3.49

Certified Gluten Free, Preservative Free, and Sugar Free – G. Hughes has BBQ sauces, Dipping Sauces, and Marinades. A selection of G. Hughes sauces would be an amazing gift for not only Keto peeps, but anyone else! Here is their page for more information and where to find!

4. Jordan’s Skinny Mixes – $4.99

“50 guilt-free flavors for your coffee, tea, protein shakes, baking or just about anything.” I personally LOVE Jordan’s Skinny Syrups – I actually just placed a MASSIVE order with them – lol! I HIGHLY recommend. Purchase in many stores, or direct here.

5. Immersion Blender – $19.99

Immersion blenders are AMAZING for so many tasks. I mostly use mine though for making mashed cauliflower! Target currently has this one on sale.

6. Pork Rinds – 2 Pack for $21.98

Pork Rinds are a delicious Zero Carb snack. I’ve tried a lot of different kinds – and for some reason the barrel of Utz Pork Rinds are hands down my favorite. Not gonna lie – they are all delicious though! Pork rinds can be eaten straight, ground up as a panko replacement to fry foods, used to dip in sauces, or even a nacho replacement! The tub can be bought in retail stores, or directly from Utz, here.

7. Gift Card – Varies

I know – gift card’s aren’t personal. HOWEVER – Gift cards are REALLY nice for those doing Keto, because your Keto friend WILL need to purchase new clothing, and it adds up fast!

8. Collection of Sea Salts – $29.95

Sea Salt is a great gift for those doing Keto. Have enough salt in your diet is essential to staying hydrated! This collection looks neat – but I know some areas have really awesome boutique stores that have lots of spices. (Cape Fear Spice Merchant in Wilmington, NC is one that comes to mind for me – I LOVE them so much!)

9. Almond Flour (Yes, really!) – $13.44

Think about how much flour you use in your kitchen. Great. Now increase that price. Because unless you are lucky enough to live near an awesome place like the Dekalb Farmers Market (Decatur Georgia, USA) , almond and coconut flours are heckin’ expensive! So, do your KETO person a favor and help them stock up! This 3lb bag isn’t to terrible in price on Amazon.

10. Keto Krate $39.99 / month

Okay – this gift is only if you REALLY like someone. Or heck – make it a gift for yourself! A subscription service such as Keto Krate delivers yummy goodies each month! Just beware – they ship with USPS, so goodness only knows when you’ll get your package! Subscribe here.

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Review! – Simple Truth Keto French Ice Cream Coffee Chip

Note: I am not affiliated with any links. I make no money off of purchases. Just linking for clarity!

A few weeks ago, I reviewed the Simple Truth Keto French Ice Cream Black Raspberry Chip and today I am reviewing Simple Truth Keto French Ice Cream Coffee Chip.

The Simple Truth brand, launched by Kroger, is certified organic by the USDA.

Price: As with the other flavors, at $3.99 for a pint of ice cream (and I bought on sale at Harris Teeter), this was a REALLY good price point! Ben & Jerrys in my area is usually over $5 and the other low carb brands usually run a little higher as well. 5 Stars!

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Taste: Once again, for a traditional sugar free ice cream, this was really delicious. The ice cream was not overly sweet. There was a nice balance of “crunch”. The coffee flavor came through but is not overpowering. Constancy wise, this ice cream seemed a little smoother and it was not gritty at all. It was very “normal”. There is also a good ratio of the chips to ice cream – they are scattered very evenly throughout. 5 stars!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Keto Friendly: One serving (2/3 cup | 1/3 of the pint)

8g net carbs | 4g protein | 17g fat

As far as macros go, this ice cream is fantastic! As with the black raspberry, I had a very small portion and was fully satisfied. The large amount of fat kept me very full, and the flavor packed a punch, meeting my sweet cravings. 5 stars!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Artificial Crap:

French Ice Cream: Water, Cream, Erythritol, Chicory Root Fiber, Egg Yolk, Milk Protein Isolate, Coffee Concentrate, Glycerin, Contains Less Than 1% : Salt, Cellulose Gel, Monk Fruit Extract, Steviol Glycosides, Cellulose Gum.

Choco Flakes: Coconut Oil, Cocoa, Erythritol, Sunflower lecithin, Salt, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Vanilla Extract, Monk fruit. 

Contains: Milk & Egg

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Overall: I really liked this ice cream. If you are a fan of coffee and a fan of ice cream – I highly recommend. The price point was affordable, the flavor is delicious, there are a good amount of chocolate chips dispersed, and the macros were spot on for keto. None of the ingredients were sketchy, which I appreciate. I will totally continue to buy this brand, as the Black Raspberry and this Coffee Chip were both spot on!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Review! – Simple Truth Keto French Ice Cream Black Raspberry Chip

Note: I am not affiliated with any links. I make no money off of purchases. Just linking for clarity!

Today I am reviewing Simple Truth Keto French Ice Cream Black Raspberry Chip. The Simple Truth brand, launched by Kroger, is certified organic by the USDA.

Price: At $3.99 for a pint of ice cream (and I bought on sale at Harris Teeter!), this was a REALLY good price point! Ben & Jerrys in my area is usually over $5 and the other low carb brands usually run a little higher as well.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Taste: So, for a traditional sugar free ice cream, this was really good. The ice cream was not overly sweet and the flavor of the black raspberry came through really well. It was a nice balance. Constancy wise, this ice cream was not as smooth and creamy as, say, Ben & Jerrys, but it seems with non traditional sugar options, the consistency is not going to be like “normal”.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Keto Friendly: One serving (2/3 cup | 1/3 of the pint)

8g net carbs | 4g protein | 17g fat

As far as macros go, this ice cream is fantastic! I had a very small portion and was fully satisfied. The large amount of fat kept me very full, and the flavor packed a punch, meeting my sweet cravings.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Artificial Crap:

French Ice Cream: Water, Cream, Erythritol, Chicory Root Fiber, Egg Yolk, Milk Protein Isolate, Glycerin, Black Raspberry Puree, Contains Less Than 1% Vegetable Juice (Color), Natural Flavor, Salt, Cellulose Gel, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Monk Fruit Extract, Steviol Glycosides, Cellulose Gum, Choco Flakes: Coconut Oil, Cocoa, Erythritol, Sunflower Lecithin, Salt, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Vanilla Extract, Monk Fruit;

Contains: Milk & Egg

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Overall: I really liked this ice cream. The price point was affordable, the flavor is delicious, there are a good amount of chocolate chips dispersed, and the macros were spot on for keto. None of the ingredients were sketchy either. I will totally buy this brand again.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Okay – be back soon – I’m running to stock up on this brand! Lol!

Keto Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce

Note: I am not affiliated at this time with any links. All links are simply to provide an example of the product I use/recommend.

Make your Thanksgiving more KETO with some delicious dirty keto cranberry sauce! This recipe is SUPER simple, uses 3 ingredients and takes about 20 minutes! I prefer using allulose because the ratio for white sugar is 1:1, which makes conversions simple! If you have a sugar alternative you prefer, check out this nifty conversion calculator!

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Allulose
• 1 cup of water
• 4 cups (12oz) of fresh cranberries

Directions:

1. Bring your 1 cup of water and 1 cup of allulose to a boil. While the water heats, rinse your cranberries and remove and funky ones.
2. When the water begins to boil and the water becomes clear as the sugar dissolves, add the cranberries.
3. Let the water come back up to a boil, then simmer for about 15-20 min, until your cranberries burst and depending on how “chunky” you want your sauce.
4. Turn off stove, let your cranberry sauce cool, and put into a container for storage.

Yield: About 16oz of cranberry sauce (32 servings).

	Net Carbs	Fat	Protein
1 serving (.5 oz. or 1 tablespoon)	1g	0g	0.1g

That’s it! Super simple!

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5 Tips for Starting a Keto Lifestyle

I often hear “Keto is so hard”, or, “I can’t give up carbs – no way”. Luckily, I’m here to tell you that I too, LOVE carbs, and am very lazy, so strive to make life as easy as possible! And, keto is NOT hard! (Owl photo credit goes to Photo by Kevin Mueller on Unsplash)

WHO’s got this? You do! I’m looking at YOU!

Here are the 5 steps I suggest to everyone who starts:

1. Download a carb tracking app. I recommend Carb Manager. I like it for several reasons, one being that it has a really easy interface (so very user friendly). I also like that is has a website as well as a really well done mobile app. You will want set up your profile and go into the settings and make sure you turn on the numbers for keto.
2. Start tracking what you eat on a normal day. and try to get closer and closer to your macro goals. For example, if you really want pizza, google “keto pizza”, (or click here for my amazing keto pizza recipe!) Make sure to weigh and accurately track what you are eating.
3. Buy a LARGE water bottle and track your water intake. You will want to make sure you are well hydrated. However, make sure you are getting at least a teaspoon of salt a day, preferably Pink Himalayan or sea salt. (Fun fact – a lot of table salts have sugar in them caking agent!) You need salt because if you drink too much water without salt, you won’t retain the water and it will simply dilute the electrolytes that you have in your system.
4. Be sure to take additional supplements of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Without these, and enough water, you may get the keto flu. I like using vitamins, Poweraide / Gatorade zero and supplement powders.
5. Intermittent fasting, or, IF, (autophagy) is something that many of those who do keto end up finding themselves doing. This is because as your body starts to burn fat reserves instead of the carbs, you will find that you are not hungry. Don’t force yourself into IF – you’re body will tell you when you are ready!

What Are Net Carbs?

Remember –

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

One of my favorite staples is spaghetti squash. With a cup of squash having 5.5g of net carbs and tons of toppings options, I highly recommend you give it a try!

Step 1. Cut vents into sides of spaghetti squash. Microwave for about 5 minutes. Use a tea towel to pull the spaghetti squash from the microwave, as it will be very warm. Preheat your oven to 425F.

Step 2. When cool, cut the spaghetti squash in half along the longer side of the gourd. Be careful with your knife as the rind of the spaghetti squash is tough. If not making any head way, microwave for a few more minutes.

Step 3. Using a spoon, remove the seeds from the inside of the spaghetti squash.

Step 4. Generously coat the inside of the spaghetti squash with oil. Doesn’t matter what kind. Palm oil is usually never good, but other then that, I’m not the boss of you.

Step 5. Place the spaghetti squash face down on a cookie sheet. Put cookie sheet in the oven that should be preheated by now to 425F. Add about a cup of water to the cookie sheet, otherwise I find the edges to over cook a little bit and dry out.

Step 6. Cook your spaghetti squash for about 30 minutes. To test if it is done, use a fork to gently flip the squash over. If you can easily stick your fork into the squash innards, then your done! Remove the squash from the oven, and using your fork, loosen the inside of the squash. The insides will look like spaghetti! You can now add whatever toppings you see fit to your “spaghetti”!

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Easiest Keto Meal Ever

I have an announcement. I am in love with this little guy!

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  Say….

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  Cheese!!!!

Two words ya’ll. FRIED CHEESE. <Drool Emoji>

This is one of my favorite keto meals, and heckin’ delicious!

Fried cheese is SUPER simple too.

• Open the cheese.
• Cut the cheese <tehe>
• Fry the cheese for about 5 min in a deep fryer at 350F.
• Fry the cheese in an air fryer for 5 min, shake or flip, and cook for another 5.

That’s literally it. Add your favorite toppings! Here I’ve used – L to R – queso, hot sauce, hummus, tomato sauce, lemon juice & zest, and pepper jelly.

queso, hot sauce, hummus, tomato sauce, lemon juice & zest, and pepper jelly

The Best Easy Keto Pizza Crust

I have tried several keto pizza crust recipes, and this on is the best! It is affordable, fast and easy, and super simple to make. If you follow my suggestions, you can make a family sized pizza with one batch!

First, gather your items:

• Silicon Rolling Mat x2 (I use one like this)
• Baking Sheet
• Rolling Pin
• Two Microwave Safe Bowls
• Large Spoon (though I prefer to use clean hands)

Then, gather your ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 & 1/3 cups Mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons of cream cheese
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• Sauce
• Herbs and Spices
• Pizza Toppings

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375f. Add 1 & 1/3 cup mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, and spices to your microwave safe bowl, and nuke for about 90 seconds until melted. Use your spoon to mix the melted cheese.

Step 2: In your second bowl, add 1/3 cup coconut flour and 3 eggs, mix.

Step 3: Mix cheesy bowl into the flour bowl. You want to do it this way because otherwise, your egg will cook some and make your pizza hella weird.

Step 4: Add your spices. These are up to you! I usually add an Italian mix (oregano, basil, and thyme, as well as some garlic). But get creative! You can add curry flavors and top your pizza with chicken, lots of garlic and add just cheese as a topping, and much more. (Or don’t, I’m not the flavor police 🙂 ) Mix everything thoroughly. I use clean hands, because the mix is pretty sticky at this point.

Step 5: Place your dough onto a silpat, and smush it out. Place a second silpat over the first one, and roll it out even. Pull the top silpat piece off, place the bottom silpat, with the dough attached, onto your cookie sheet. When the oven is done heating, place the cookie sheet into the oven. Cook for 10 min at 375.

Step 6: Pull your pizza dough out, add your toppings, and put back in the oven for another 7 minutes or so. Depending on your toppings you may need to add time.

Thats it! Crazy easy, and delicious!

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Have pizza creation ideas? Share them with me, and I will continue to update this page with your ideas!

Reader Submitted Ideas:

Spicy Meat Lovers – Submitted by Joe M.

• Tomato Sauce
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Pepperoni – lots!
• Precooked Italian Sausage
• Sliced Jalapeno
• Fresh Parmesan

Margarita Pesto Pizza – Submitted by Brenna S.

• Fresh Pesto
• Sliced Tomatoes
• Sliced Mozzarella
• Fresh Basil
• Bonus! Drizzle a thick Balsamic on after cooking

Shakshuka Pizza – Submitted by Jacob S.

• Spicy Tomato Sauce
• Cumin
• Onions
• Chili Peppers
• Sausage
• Feta Cheese
• Dippy Egg (create a few wells, gently crack a few eggs onto the pizza, season with salt and pepper. Cook 7-10 minutes)
• Parsley

Fun Guy Pizza – Submitted by Andi

• Pizza Sauce
• Mushrooms
• Sausage
• Onions
• Cheese

Ravioli Pizza – Submitted by Becky K.

• White Sauce (be sure to check the carb count on your chosen white sauce)
• Italian Sausage
• Ricotta

Where does this fall on the glycemic index? or What sugar can I have on Keto?

What is the glycemic index, and why should I care?

The glycemic index (GI) is a a measure of how quickly a food causes our blood sugar levels to rise. The foods are ranked on a scale from 0 to 100. Foods with a high GI should be avoided, because they cause a rapid spike in insulin. For example, jelly beans trigger a lot of sugar response in your blood. However, a food like celery, which is a carbohydrate, does not have this same effect because it is low on the GI.

What does GI have to do with keto?

Glycemic index has a lot to do with keto! Insulin allows the cells in the muscles, fat and liver to absorb glucose that is in the blood. This glucose can serve as energy to these cells, or convert to fat. If you instead avoid high GI foods and sweeteners, there is less of an insulin spike, and therefore less sugar being converted to fat.

Sweetner	GI	Type	Recommendation
Stevia (pure liquid form)	0	Natural	Use
Allulose	0	Natural	Use
Monk Fruit	0	Natural	Use
Inulin	0	Natural	Use
Tagatos	3	Natural	Sparingly
Yacon Syrup	1	Natural	Sparingly
Agave	10-19	Natural	Avoid
Maple Syrup	54	Natural	Avoid
Honey	58	Natural	Avoid
Erythritol	0	Natural	Use
Xylitol	7	Sugar Alcohol / Natural	Sparingly
Maltitol	26	Sugar Alcohol / Natural	Avoid
Sorbitol	4	Sugar Alcohol / Natural	Avoid
Sucralose (Splenda)	0-80 (depending on bulking agent)	Synthetic (artificial)	Avoid / Limit
Aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet)	0	Synthetic (artificial)	Avoid / Limit
Saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low)	Variable	Synthetic (artificial)	Avoid / Limit
Acesulfame potassium (Sunnett, Sweet One)	0	Synthetic (artificial)	Avoid / Limit
Sucrose (table sugar)	65	Processed	Avoid
HFCS	varies	Processed	Avoid

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Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Keto Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

Mmmmmm

The other day I made Keto Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast. It was amazing!

Ingredients:

• 2 slices Low carb bread (I use Sola Bread)
• 1 Egg
• Cinnamon
• 4 tbsp Cream Cheese
• 1/4 cup Berries
• Sugar Free Syrup

1. Dip your bread into egg like normal for french toast, both sides, add cinnamon to your liking.
2. While french toast is cooking, toss some berries into a pan. Let them cook down. Add some cream cheese, let it mix together. Taste it with a clean spoon. Should be amazing, but if you need a little sweeter, add more berries. Note: Remember, berries have sugar, so the more berries, the less keto your meal is! I used about 1/4 cup berries, and 4 tbsp cream cheese.
3. Layer your french toast, then cream cheese, then french toast. Cover with sugar free syrup.
4. Grab a knife and fork and shovel the meal into your mouth. It’s okay, I won’t judge.

Est.	Net Carbs	Fat	Protein
Stuffed French Toast	11.3	33.5	22.4